The carriage suddenly lurched as wheels ground against the sandy earth. The momentum started receding until they sat completely still.
"What on earth is happening?" Itani's hand went to her bow. "Bandits?"
"Odd if so." Anzu frowned, moving toward the window. "How would bandits catch up to us at this speed?"
A heavy whack shook the frame beneath his feet. Passengers held on to their benches for balance.
Then another whack occurred, and another, in a steady rhythmical pace.
Anzu leaned out the window cutout, stretching his neck. A man crouched beside the left part of the rear was wielding a massive axe, hacking away at the wheel of the carriage with brutal efficiency. Wood chips flew in every direction, and the rim of the wheel already bore deep gouges.
"This isn't good." He pulled back inside, meeting Itani's eyes. "We probably have a fight on our hands."
His vision shifted inward, segueing into that absent, distant look as the inventory interface popped up in his mind's eye. One slot was filled now, luckily, hosting a stack of two mana potions. He reached for them, and two vials materialized in his palms with smooth glass that was cool to the touch. He pushed them into the leather loops on his belt, designed precisely for quick access in combat.
Options flickered through his thoughts, just like before the last fight.
He could go with a less messy approach and cast [Obliterate Mind]. But the spell came in a single-target version or an area-of-effect version. The single-target would be much too slow, while the area version, which was executed within a large circular dome, would scramble every passenger's brain along with the attackers.
Absolutely not. Having to deal with a dozen or so confused passengers would be a nightmare.
And what about elemental magic? Telekinesis? These would be devastatingly effective, but also catastrophically expensive on mana. He'd burn through two thirds of his pool before the second spell, which he couldn't afford right now.
There was really no choice then, just like in the fight with the Mardukist priest.
Blood magic, it had to be. In other words, the messy option. But it was also the most efficient mana-wise. And why not? He was an Archsage after all.
He moved to the door, pushed it open, and jumped to the ground. Dust raised as his boots struck the desert ground. He immediately straightened to take in the scene with practiced speed.
There were four men and a woman. One man in heavy plate, wielding the large axe, was still hacking away at the wheel with a very singular focus. Two had crossbows and wore leather armor, which creaked as they swiveled toward him. Two more, a man and a woman, were flanking them with swords drawn and their light mail glinting under the morning sun.
And behind them, there stood five horses, stamping and blowing while lowering their heads in search of anything green on the desert ground. They were sleek and must have cost a fortune. These were far too luxurious and expensive for common bandits.
But this explained a lot about this ambush. A single rider on horseback moved faster than any carriage. Of course, they'd caught up with them fairly easily.
The nearest swordsman turned fully toward him now, and Anzu's gaze dropped to the man's sleeve.
It was the head of a wild boar, stitched in brown thread. That could only mean one thing.
Mercenaries.
Everything clicked into place. Of course, why didn't he realize this sooner?
Mercenaries were flush with gold, had an astounding network of underground connections, and were known for executing their contracts ruthlessly. They were exactly the sort to acquire horses through back channels and illegal trade. And it would be easy for them to find out what the caravan schedule was. And that was perfect for intercepting valuable targets.
One of the crossbowmen raised his weapon, forcing Anzu's hand to move to the staff, while his mind raced through the possibilities.
Could the Mardukist priests have hired them? No. The dynamic had never worked that way.
From their scroll contracts, Mercenaries earned temple stones, which were sacred currency minted by the gods themselves. The priests needed those stones in their rituals for scroll enchanting and so bought them at premium rates. A good chunk of the economy ran on that exchange, and both sides knew it.
Priests asking mercenaries for favors would expose their desperation and indicate weakness. The relationship had always been transactional and cold, somehow balanced on mutual distrust. Neither side would risk tipping that scale.
Which left only one explanation. A bounty.
His Bounty Karma had climbed after several confrontations he'd had up to now. The bandit outside Lagash and the guards at the bazaar with the priest. Each fight added weight to whatever invisible ledger tracked his supposed crimes.
Anzu still didn't understand the mechanics of this. Most importantly, how the system calculated worth and what exactly triggered it for him. He suspected Blood Magic, but he couldn't be sure.
These men weren't sent. They'd chosen to collect his bounty.
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"Well, well. Master Sage, greetings."
The voice cut through his thoughts. One of the sword-wielders stepped forward, wearing a red bandana that contrasted with his sun-bronzed skin. He spat into the dust.
"Looks like we've got someone hungry for the arch-status, guys. Engaging in rituals and whatnot."
More spit hit the sandy ground.
"A lovely little sum you'll fetch."
Behind Anzu, wood creaked, and the hiss of a bowstring being drawn tight occurred. Itani stood in the carriage doorway with an arrow nocked and her eyes sharp.
She was a little too close. He didn't want her in melee range in case any splash damage occurred from his spells, but covering fire was alright.
There was more movement above. Three figures dropped from the carriage in quick succession. It was the rough-looking men from inside, who now had daggers gleaming in their fists, with mean eyes and hungry grins.
"We can help here, for sure."
"Wait." Anzu raised a hand and continued with a firm voice. "Stay back. Only help with range weapons if you must."
The men looked at each other as annoyance flickered across their faces, but they held their position. That was good enough for now.
The mercenaries moved, and swords flashed. The axe-wielder charged, pounding the sand with his boots, while the crossbowmen, behind them, raised their weapons, taking aim with mechanical precision.
Anzu dodge-rolled away from the carriage to gain some distance between himself and the attackers. His shoulder touched sand, as momentum carried him sideways and backwards. As he landed on one knee, his left hand was already moving to his belt.
The [Heart-pricker] slid free from its otherwise decorated but now plain scabbard. Three quick cuts across his palm were all it took for blood to well, appearing bright against pale skin. It was time for [Blood lacerate].
"Taaraku!"
Power roared through him as he channelled mana with his staff into his other hand. Crimson light erupted from his palm and manifested in five fluorescent streams racing outward in a cone. The spell caught all five mercenaries square with red rays piercing through armor and cloth alike.
They dropped down, one after the other, their knees hitting the ground, while their faces twisted in shock. Lacerations tore open across their arms, legs, and torsos, splitting skin as though invisible blades carved it from within. Blood fountained upward, staining the sandy ground in dark red.
Three arrows in quick succession whistled past Anzu's ears.
Itani's was helping from behind. Some of her shows struck true, embedding in the attacker's armor, but most bounced off it or disappeared into the dust. And that was expected, as her level was much too low to punch through properly enchanted gear.
Based on the mercenaries' gear, they were [Levels 90 - 100]. So, basically, veterans. No wonder Itani couldn't land effective shots.
At that point, he felt the mana he was channeling tug all of a sudden.
DING! [Blood spike] for 39% damage triggered.
Another spike. The health bar of the axe-wielder was red and pulsing, having just plummeted to ten percent. The crossbowman beside him staggered as his health bottomed out near the same critical threshold. Both men gasped while their faces continued to grow paler and paler.
The grainy ground was soaked with blood at this point.
Anzu's focus sharpened, and his fingers flexed on his staff. Control and precision were needed now. Not a hair's length more mana should be used than necessary.
His eyes locked onto the floating health bars, which were now below ten percent, teetering at the edge. He pinched down the mana channel, reducing its output until the spell barely whispered through the air.
The axe-wielder's bar ticked lower, sinking to twelve percent, eleven, and finally ten.
The man's eyes rolled back, and his massive figure toppled forward, hitting the ground with a heavy thud, face forward. He was unconscious, but alive.
The crossbowman beside him wavered as well, and his knees began to buckle. Anzu cut the channel entirely for half a heartbeat, just to be sure, and the mercenary crumpled into the dust.
"You evil bastard."
Anzu's head snapped up in the direction of the voice.
The swordsman with the red bandana had managed to stand up, with his boots finding a hold in the bloodstained earth. His blade came up. Though his hand was trembling, fury was twisting his face.
"There will be hell to pay for this."
He lurched forward, closing the distance with grim determination.
No time to think now. Anzu increased the size of the mana channel for a second and then pinched it back, sending the swordsman flying backwards into the sandy soil.
DING! [Blood spike] for 46% damage triggered.
Another spike, and this was devastatingly high. A 46% damage increase at this level was massive.
The health bar of the swordsman blinked and then vanished as he hit the ground with a limp body.
It was another death. Damn.
Fury about his glitchy build clawed at Anzu's ribs, but he shoved it down. There'll be time for emotions later.
Two mercenaries were left now: one of the crossbowmen and the sword-wielding woman. Both were bleeding significantly, but their health bars continued dipping steadily lower.
He throttled the mana flow, easing back until the crimson light dimmed to faint wisps.
They were at 10%. Now 8%, 7%.
Careful. Careful.
He severed the channel completely.
Both mercenaries dropped with their faces plummeting into the sand with twin muffled thumps. The incapacitation worked. They were unconscious and would stay so for a good long while.
Anzu exhaled as the fight was done, and his shoulders began to sag to a more comfortable position. But then pain erupted across his body.
DING! [Blowback] for 45% damage triggered.
Lacerations suddenly tore open along both his cheeks, accompanied by a pain burning its way into his flesh. His right hand split, spraying blood. Wetness flooded his vision as his eyes, completely drenched, gave the world a blood-red tint
Anzu gasped and staggered backwards.
The ridiculous [Blowback]. It had reduced his health pool to 65%. Only his high resistances in blood damage had kept it from being worse. The pain burned, and he couldn't see properly. More importantly, his mana pool was completely depleted.
There was only one thing he could do now.
His hand fumbled to his belt. The mana potion came free, though the glass was now slick with his own blood. Yanking the cork, he tilted it back and drank. The lifeblood of magic surged throughout all of his body with a cool and slightly electric sensation, flooding his depleted reserves.
And now that he had mana back, it was time for [Major Heal.] As he formed an intricate geometric pattern with his staff, he became surrounded with a fine white myst. Pleasant warmth cascaded through torn flesh, and the lacerations knitted, pulling the skin back into its place.
He lowered his staff, and his breathing finally steadied.
"What were those wounds you got just now?"
Itani's voice cut through the haze. She stood beside the carriage with the bow lowered and eyes wide with worry.
"How did that happen?"
Anzu wiped his face with his sleeve, smearing crimson across the dark green cloth. His mind raced.
The blowback in the temple fight had been negligible. It was barely noticeable. But this? This was on a whole other level. The most worrying part was that it seemed to be scaling. Either with the total damage output, or perhaps it was cumulative over multiple fights. Both options made his jaw tighten, since it would mean the side-effects of combat would only get worse from now on.
The blasted glitched build.
'We can't go into that now.' He met her gaze, keeping his voice level. 'But everything is under control.'
Itani relaxed a little, though doubt lingered in her eyes.
Anzu turned, walking toward the carriage. There was another problem they had now. And it was significant.
He pointed at the rear wheel. There were deep gouges carved through the wood with splinters hanging loose. The rim was barely being held together.
"We have a bigger problem on our hands. Look."
The driver approached with a pale face.
"Coachman, you don't happen to have a spare, do you?"
"Nope. No spare."
The driver raised his voice, addressing passengers clustered at windows and gathered outside.
"Well, folks, it looks like we're stuck."